The Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital says that people are thought to have a problem with compulsive hoarding when all of the following are true: "(1) They regularly keep a large number of possessions that most people would not consider to be very useful or valuable; (2) Their home, or parts of their home, are so cluttered that they can no longer use those parts of their home for their intended purpose; and (3) The clutter is so bad that it causes significant distress or impairment."
There is also an emotional component to compulsive hoarding. Compulsive hoarders typically form strong emotional attachments to their possessions. They often feel anxious when they try to throw things away, which makes it difficult for them to do so. Ron Alford, Managing Director of Disaster Masters, a company that specializes in cleaning out apartments that have become "utter disasters", describes compulsive hoarding as "a severe fear of getting rid of stuff".
Compulsive hoarding, or "disposophobia", as Alford calls it, causes serious problems. Alford says, "It's a disorder that affects the daily life of its sufferers immensely." He notes that compulsive hoarding can reduce a sufferer to living in "domestic squalor".
The home of a compulsive hoarder may deteriorate over time. "I would suspect that about five percent of the population suffers from compulsive hoarding. It's like alcohol or any substance abuse. It affects your daily life. If you go to Disposophobia.com you will see people with so much stuff in their dwelling that it is hard to navigate. They just collect things and some people don't know how to throw anything away," says Alford.
How can you tell if you, or someone you know, is a compulsive hoarder? Identifying whether you have a problem with compulsive hoarding is a matter of identifying excess. Do you have magazines and newspapers stacked up that would take you more than a month to read? If the idea of discarding your oldest magazines feels you with dread, it might be time to call for compulsive hoarding help.
A company such as Alford's, which comes in and cleans up its customers' homes, can give compulsive hoarders a new start. "Our company offers help to compulsive hoarders in the form of a thorough cleanup and reorganization, and for some we're able to work with them toward controlling their problem, he says," he says.
Who is most likely to be a compulsive hoarder? Alford says that through his work he has noticed that "the people who suffer the most from compulsive hoarding are people in the health care industry". Health care worker, nurses, social workers, and even psychiatrists are among his clients. He says this is because some health care workers are so focused on helping others that they never get around to learning how to take care of themselves. The second largest group of compulsive hoarders consists of schoolteachers and professors, says Alford.
There are also support groups where compulsive hoarders can find understanding, encouragement, mutual help, and information. Support can be found both in groups that meet face-to-face and at online sites. Two notable online support sites are SqualorSurvivors.com and ReclaimingDignity.com.
